DIY Mug Art

(This post was updated on 02/26/14)

I saw these nifty markers that write on ceramic awhile ago, but have only just tried it out, very exciting!  I'm always a little nervous using a new medium because there always is a bit of a learning curve, but this Porcelaine marker was very easy to use the first time.

I picked up this pen off Amazon for $7. It claims to be dishwasher safe which is pretty neat (after letting it air dry for 24 hours, bake in the oven for 35 minutes at 300°F). This brand has an assortment of colors and sizes, fine and broad tips. I went with standard black and a broad tip to try it out. It writes like any paint pen, you've got to shake it well and let the ink descend to the tip the first time you use it. The mugs I got from the dollar store, plain and white, the perfect canvas.

Even though I've had the supplies for a awhile I think I took so long to make it because I didn't have anything in mind to put on it! As you can see I got some design inspiration from a box I had covered with this awesome flocked wrapping paper.

You can see in the close up it's smooth overall but it does get tiny bubbles, and I'm not sure if it's a user error or just they way it is. Luckily I have three more mugs to decorate! I'd love to get more colors and try it out on plates or bowls. I think it would make a really sweet and personal gift for someone, maybe some monograms perhaps?

UPDATE:

One day I splurged and bought the 9 pack of colored Pabeo Porcelaine broad tip markers! I added some color flair to the above mug...

The markers performed just as well as the black had, although some colors seems less opaque at first pass. I loved the ingenuity of the teardrop shaped cap to keep them from rolling, genius!

The color selection is fabulous as well...

Chorizo Corn Chowder

Last night was a dinner of leftovers turned into something I'll definitely try to make again. Earlier this week I had made chorizo tacos and corn on the grill. The chorizo was from a Mexican market, super spicy with that alarming orange hue. We had lots of meat leftover as well and grilled corn that I removed from the cob. So last night I decided to make a chowder of sorts because I also had some cream leftover from a weekend adventure with a Grand Marnier ganache. The result was deliciously spicy and chowdery...

I used:

• About 2 links worth of chorizo, removed from their casing and minced in a pan
• 2-3 cups of grilled or roasted sweet corn, the grilling brings out the sweetness
• 2 smallish red skinned potatoes
• 1 bell pepper (orange)
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 quart of chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of *heavy cream
• Dried thyme, oregano, Adobo seasoning and black pepper
• A handful of cilantro roughly chopped
• Crumbled queso fresco

The part I did the night before:

Remove the chorizo from it's casing and start mincing in a pan as you would ground beef. Because of it's crazy spicy orange color it's difficult to tell when it's done by a color change, so take note of the texture. I doubt you can over cook it anyway. I grilled about 4 ears of corn on medium heat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Keep and eye on the corn and rotate it to evenly grill the kernels. It's okay if they get a little charred.

Making the chowder:

Dice the potatoes into small bite sized pieces, put in a large pot and cover with some broth. Put a lid on it and let them boil 'til soft. Dice the pepper and onion and cook in a lightly oiled pan 'til the onions are translucent and soft. Turn the heat off on them and wait until the potatoes are soft to add them in to the pot. Then add the rest of the broth and the corn. At this point I used my handy immersion blender to blend about half of the soup for a thicker texture. Then I added my chorizo and spices. Let them all simmer together for about 10 minutes. Minutes before you serve it, add the milk, cream and cilantro. Garnish with more fresh cilantro and crumbled queso fresco.

We ate ours with some corn chips. The chorizo is a nice flavorful addition to the creamy corn chowder. It's spicy but doesn't overtake the sweetness of the corn. It's smooth, but still has a healthy amount of chunks. I feel like this would be a nice fall dish. I think it's a little too sweaty outside to fully appreciate it's heartiness. So when corn is in season, I'll grill a bunch, remove the kernels and freeze them for later, preserving that fresh grilled taste!

*If the thought of heavy cream scares you, you could forego diary altogether, I think it would still taste nice. You could also use just milk or fat free greek yogurt, it will just yield some varying textures, experiment! 

North Third: 801 N. 3rd Street, Northern Liberties

Last Friday, we had to take advantage of the daylight hours of Midsummer's Eve, arguably the best day of the year. With Dante in tow we went to the Northern Liberties area of Philly for dinner and a walk. North Third is fabulous restaurant on the corner of 3rd and Brown Street. We got a sunny table outside; a caveat to bringing small children into this establishment; be prepared to explain the female anatomy, because in one room there is a larger than life painting of breasts, just breasts... Anyway, we've eaten here a handful of times, and the food is always superb.

This time I opted for the lamb burger, on special, with arugula, tzatziki, and big chunks of feta. I felt a little silly, this was my first lamb "burger" and I wasn't aware that the inside is meant to be very pink. It alarmed me at first, but our helpful waiter assured me that's how it's meant to be prepared. Whew. That first reaction aside, it was excellent! The tzatziki was fresh and flavorful, and the chunks of feta were a nice salty addition. I know french fries usually are a filler, but I love my fries, especially doused in malt vinegar and an unhealthy amount of salt and pepper. These were also well done, not too greasy (Dante also approved). And of course they have a killer draft line up to match their menu. If you're in the area, I would suggest eating here, slightly away from the busy Piazza on 2nd street.

After dinner we got to mosey on through the park nearby where they were about to show a film. There's a pretty community garden and lot's of artwork nearby. Lovely painted fences and walls. Every time we're in the city like this, it makes me want to flee dull suburbia in the worst way. Or maybe I should just paint a mural on our garage to liven things up.

Our Etsy Shop: Penncroft Attic

I've had an Etsy shop "open" for quite some time. I've often thought that I'd like to sell vintage finds from all my thrifting hunts, but I've never gotten my act together (much like many of my ideas). However, my sister-law, Emily, has a shared interest in all things vintage, and together we've started the Penncroft Attic! We collect anything that catches our eye and is in good condition, or that we can bring to new life. I think our favorite finds are classic books and afternoon-tea-worthy teapots.

Shop screenshot

It's only a little hard to part with some of the things we buy. But our home is too tiny for all the things I'd want to keep! We've got a few more items to list, including a handful of fabulous vintage clothing pieces. We've found a giant warehouse of vintage clothing in Northern Philly. It's a thrifter's dream, rows of boxes of clothing arranged by decades and style. I can't wait to go back for more items!

Dante helps too!

Emily is responsible for all of the fantastic photos, and if you haven't been to her blog yet, you should check it out!

Our first sale, sort of...

Technically we sold a set of books already, and technically my mom bought them... But a sale is a sale! And it gave us good practice on the billing and shipping process. 

Etsy Craft Party: Philadelphia

If you haven't heard, Etsy is having a worldwide craft party tomorrow, June 20th! This year's theme is "Craft for Community". If you're in the Philly area, you should join me and Emily from Growing Wild Ginger! It's being held at 3rd Ward in Northern Liberties. There will be a potluck, craft supply swap and crafting fun. They will also collect art supplies for local art camps within the community. And the best part is it's FREE, so register here! 

So if you were only planning to sit around on your bum tomorrow night, gather up some craft supplies instead. Let me know if I'll see you there!

My Nail Polish Dilemma

I have finally come to terms with my love of nail polish.

Even though the first time I ever got a manicure in a salon was for my wedding two years ago, that doesn't mean I don't do them myself at home on a regular basis. I have a fair amount of colorful little polishes lined up in the bathroom, and I'd wager that my toenails are lacquered 95% of the time. I'm sure a lot of girls can relate. After all the other natural options I've been switching to I've conveniently forgotten about the tiny bottles of formaldehyde I paint my nails with. There are no two ways about it, nail polish is little concoction of chemicals. Mother Nature doesn't have a way of adhering a glossy, metallic hued color on a surface for days at a time. So, okay, it's not that much, it's only on my nails? But there's also the environmental factor, tossing old nail polish bottles is just as bad as tossing out house paint, or batteries*. Great. 

Even "natural" nail polishes aren't one hundred percent natural, but they don't have the triple crown of chemicals: toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and formaldehyde. I guess that's a step in the right direction. But it begs the question, is it really worth it, do I need nail polish in my life? 

So, I've decided to go polish free for the summer and see what happens to me. (Or rather, see if I can stand my long toes baring it all.) Maybe it will be nice to not concern myself with chipping polish...

Here's where I'm getting my facts from:

Huffington Post

WebMD

The Daily Green

Some natural polish brands that are "Three free":

Priti

Zoya

Butter London

Sante

Nars

Rescue Beauty Lounge

Scotch Naturals

* To properly dispose of nail polish, uncap it in a well ventilated area and let it harden. Only then is it "acceptable" to throw out.

Minty Melon Pops & A Nifty Storage Technique

Sure I could make ice pops all year round, but they're just not as satisfying as when it's hot outside and it's a race to eat them before they melt down your hand. Remember when you were a kid and your biggest problem in the summer was getting that last little bit of Popsicle off the stick? Biting one side and quickly flipping it over before the other half met it's end...

I'd like to think that my tastes have matured slightly from orangesicles and red,white and blue rocket flavors. Using fresh fruit is tasty and healthy to boot. I've made melon pops before, but this time I added some mint for double the freshness.

Minty Melon Pops

• A smallish melon. I used a honeydew hybrid, I swear it was called *"dewlicious"
• About 2 tablespoons of agave for extra oompf
• 4 sprigs of mint. 2 regular spearmint and 2 grapefruit mint
• A pinch of salt

Carve up the melon, and throw everything into a blender.

Puree it 'til smooth. Distribute into your molds. I had a little leftover so it became a mini smoothie for me while I cooked. So refreshing! I'm not a fan of melon as a fruit, too spongey or slimey, I'm not sure. But the flavor, is a whole different story. The melon pairs so nicely with the mint it's hard to tell where one flavor ends and the other begins. As for the mint addition, I honestly don't think I can taste a difference using half grapefruit mint, but the plant itself was pretty so I thought I'd have a go at it.

A Nifty Technique

Recently with all my pop making, I was trying to think of a way to get the pops out of the molds to make way for a different flavor, because who doesn't love a choice in dessert? What I've come up with is wax paper.

After the pops are completely frozen, get them out and wrap them in wax paper, then store in a freezer safe container. Because they're already frozen they won't stick to the paper. And the container is important because you don't want them to pick up freezer taste. Blech. Once they're stowed away your mold is ready for the next batch! This would also be a helpful method if you're entertaining lots of people hungry for ice pops.

* The chickens got the rinds and loved them. One of their favorite fruits to date!

All Natural Bug Spray

I don't know about you, but mosquitoes love me. Each summer I will inevitably become covered with golf ball sized welts. Additionally, I hate the thought of covering myself in a choking haze of bug spray. So now my first line of defense is some homemade spray.

There are actually plants that bugs don't like. Citronella is a big one. Yes, citronella is a plant, not just a type of candle! And if you add the right combo of things bugs don't like to smell, then they'll stay away for the most part. 

You don't need too many supplies, but once you have everything you can make enough for yourself and others. You could also use the same essential oils for bug repelling candles, but that's a post for another day. You'll need...

• A 2 oz, dark spray bottle in blue or brown. They sell them in Whole Foods or a site like, Specialty Bottle
• Witch Hazel, which you can pick up at any drug store
• Essential Oils: Citronella, Cedarwood, Tea Tree and Lavender

Fill the bottle 3/4 of the way with witch hazel. Then add 20 drops of citronella, 10 of cedarwood, 10 of tea tree and 10 lavender. You can spray it liberally on your legs and arms, but I wouldn't spray it close to your face and eyes. I keep this by the door so it's handy for a spritz on my legs before I go in the garden or take the dog for a walk. I won't tout that it works as well as any chemically enhanced stuff, but if you're concerned about what goes on your skin, this is a great alternative. 

2013 Philadelphia Vendy Awards

The Vendy Awards are time when people come together to eat and drink amazing culinary delights prepared by the cities finest food trucks. After you sample everything, you vote! Just my kind of event. They are hosted and originated by the non-profit Street Vendor Project in New York city, and their success has spread nationwide. This was Philadelphia's third awards, and I finally got to be apart of it! This year, it took place in scenic Penn Treaty Park.

Even though lines were long, it was all worth the wait!

I got a delicious braised meatball from Foo, but it was their truck art that impressed me most.

Deep fried cheese curds from The Cow and the Curd were outstanding gooey crunchy morsels.

Nothing like a cold ale to pair with all this food on a hot day.

Left: KAMI noodles and Korean style cheesesteak were my personal favorite of the day // Right: Macarons from Sugar Philly

Cupcakes from Cupcake Carnival, Falafel from the Falafel King and Garlic Parmesan Tots from the Tot truck

Here's a list of all the Finalist Trucks in Attendance, follow the link to find out where they're located!

Chewy’s

Chez Yasmine

Christis’ Falafel Truck

Foo Truck

KAMI

King of Falafel

Lil’ Dans Gourmet

Poi Dog

The Cow & the Curd

Tot Cart

Cupcake Carnivale

Gozen

Jimmies

Lil Pop Shop

Sugar Philly

Sweet Box Cupcakes

The sun finally came out!

A view of the Ben Franklin Bridge and the Delaware River.

UPDATE: The King of Falafel took home the Vendy Award this year, congrats!

Thrifted Friday: Vintage Cowboy Boots

I have a new consignment shop favorite located in Manayunk, The Attic. I've always found fun, trendy items there, but only recently have I taken my own clothes there to consign. I like consigning with them mainly because they don't have a minimum amount of clothes that they will accept, which is great for someone like myself who cleans out their closet every season. They also offer 30% in cash of the consignment value of your items or 50% in store credit. I opted for store credit and went home with some great pieces, including these boots!

I don't think I can ever have enough boots, and I've been longing for a classic western pair. These fit the  bill perfectly, and my feet too! I fell in love with the warm tones and tooled details. 

Caring for leather is a bit tricky. Especially older worn items. The leather stiffens without wear and needs a little TLC to restore it's supple finish. I clean my leather items with some warm water and bit of Dr. Bronner's castile soap. It's super gentle and won't leave any residue. You can delicately wipe and spot clean the leather with that mixture and a soft cloth. Let the leather completely dry, then if it's stiff like these boots use a moisturizer, like Leather Honey. It's got a waxy consistency that you apply a thin coat of and let it sink in. It will completely transform tough leather, and will help maintain new leather. Now, these boots are ready for walkin'!

Recommended Reading: The Flavia De Luce Series

Last year my grandmother, my cousin, and I, started a book club of sorts. One book series that we discovered, and thoroughly enjoy, are the Flavia De Luce novels by Alan Bradley. We've only read the first three, but we immediately fell in love with the precocious eleven year old heroine, Flavia.

Young Flavia lives on her palatial family estate in the quiet village of Bishop's Lacey, England, during the 1950's. She lives with her two older sisters with whom she is constantly at sisterly war, and her distant father who, like any proper Englishman, won't show his grief over the death of his wife, Flavia's late mother. Armed with a vernacular to rival any adult, Flavia has a mind for science, chemistry, specifically. She revels in the privacy of her own wing, complete with her very own laboratory and ancient chemistry texts. Fortunately for Miss De Luce, the sleepy town of Bishop's Lacey becomes much more interesting as it becomes clouded in various mysteries.

The books read much like tales of Sherlock Holmes. Flavia is highly intelligent, curious, and bears a razor sharp wit. She narrates these stories with Sherlock-esque flair. And with it there's a whole new layer of humor, given her age and station in life. It's sort of unique to have a young girl narrate adult fiction novels, dealing with murder, deception and other sinister plots. Have I piqued your interest yet?

There are are now a total of five books in the series...

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag
A Red Herring Without Mustard
I Am Half-Sick of Shadows
Speaking From Among The Bones

And coming in 2014, Mr. Bradley will publish The Dead In Their Vaulted Arches. Of the three we read, I think I enjoyed A Red Herring Without Mustard most, but just start at the beginning, I'm sure that you'll adore the little scientist detective. I for one, am quite looking forward to reading them all!

Backyard Chickens and Your Dog

Our nine pound Chihuahua, Dante, loves our backyard chickens. In fact, he loves them so much, he wants to eat them! Well, I guess dogs will be dogs...

I thought I'd share how the chickens have been fitting into Dante's life, as well as our own. I think I was secretly hoping that Dante and the chicks would miraculously be BFFs, but like most things in life, their relationship is taking more time and patience, ugh, there's that "p" word again. So if you have a dog and you're thinking about getting some backyard chickens, here's some things that I've learned.

The chicken area of the yard is still under construction, I'm hoping the girls will just eat all the weeds for me!

1. Consider where your chickens will live in relation to your dog. We're in the process of fencing in a portion of the yard so that the chickens can free range in safety with their coop. Currently there's no fence, just a thin chicken wire barrier. The holes are perfectly sized for a little Chihuahua mouth.

2. Introductions. Don't bring your chicks home at midnight and put them in the basement until the coop is built. That's unfortunately how Dante first met them, tiny feathered intruders in his home! He picked up on their presence in seconds, tore down the stairs and starting barking and nipping at feathers. When we finally built the coop we went about it a much better way. We made sure Dante had a long walk and was good and tired. Since he was still leashed we approached the chickens very slowly and gradually. It's also a good idea to have a favorite toy with you to distract them every so often. They have to learn that the chickens aren't a threat, and don't need to be the focus of attention when he's in the yard. After awhile we took him off the leash and played fetch. He played for a bit, then remembered about the chickens and ran back to start the process all over again.

3. Patience! Take the dog out on the leash frequently to see and sniff them until they seem calm around the coop. If your chickens will always be in a coop, then you're good to go. Eventually the dog will just get used to them and won't even feel the need to watch them. But since we'd like our chickens to free range, we have to go a little further with training.

4. Meeting face to face. The other night we not only let the chickens free range without the fence up, but we brought Dante out too. He whined a lot, but soon tired himself out and laid down. The funny part is that the chickens could care less about him. I thought they would be skittish, but maybe they're just not that smart.

Lemme at 'em!

The chickens don't really stray too far from the coop anyway.

At this point Dante has given up on a chicken dinner.

June Playlist

Best enjoyed on a drive to the beach with the windows down.